President Irfaan Ali has urged fellow CARICOM leaders to join in galvanizing support from local artistes to promote non-violent and positive lyrics, in an aim to preserve the rich musical culture the region is known for.
“You enjoyed the brilliance of culture; in this region, culture is our staple. Culture is that common thread that brings us together… In this region we owe it to the generation ahead of us to keep our culture alive and to invest in this culture, because the culture is what distinguishes us from any other region. Culture is distinctly different from any other region,” Ali said in his opening address at the 46th Meeting of Heads of CARICOM on Sunday.
“We do not need lyrics that promote violence in this region. We have the ability to promote good lyrics and lyrics that will move people in the positive direction and move people to think and behave positively. As leaders of this region ,we have to take this situation very seriously and ensure the lyrics of the region is the lyrics of Bob Marley, the lyrics of positivity, and the lyrics of positive living and positive change. We must take this responsibility on today,” he told the gathering at the National Cultural Centre in Georgetown.
Ali’s charge followed the rhythmic drumming by participants from eight countries and which was fused together by Adrian Mark of Grenada and Kevin Moore of Barbados and which had the 2000-plus capacity Cultural Centre moving to the rhythms.
“If there is anyone in this room that did not feel uplifted even to the point of wanting to move with the rhythm of the drums, then something is wrong with your energy level,” he said.
“We in Guyana have taken a very conscious decision in ensuring that we invest in culture as a tool and mechanism of unifying our people and as a tool and mechanism of telling the story of who we are as a people,” he added.
Stating that some might say that the issue of lyrics was not important, Ali noted that a regional artist is on Interpol’s red list and this country has taken a stand to not allow that person to perform here.
“For some, this may seem a soft issue, but this is a fundamental issue. Only recently (Trini-dadian) Prime Minister (Keith) Rowley and I are were having a conversation when many young people, young brilliant people questioned the decision of not having a certain artist perform in the country…that artist is on an Interpol Red List,” he said.
Interpol says that its Red Notice “is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. A Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant.”
“The individuals are wanted by the requesting member country, or international tribunal. Member countries apply their own laws in deciding whether to arrest a person. The majority of Red Notices are restricted to law enforcement use only. Extracts of Red Notices are published at the request of the member country concerned and where the public’s help may be needed to locate an individual or if the individual may pose a threat to public safety.”
K-man 6ixx
Ali did not name the artiste but recently Trinidad and Tobago performer, Kashif Alexander Sankar whose stage name is K-man 6ixx, was blocked from performing here for a Mashramani event.
Sankar was banned in St. Kitts and Nevis this month with that country’s police force saying, “The security assessment identified within the artist’s work explicit endorsements of violence; promotion of criminal activities; and a consistent glorification of gang life.’
“The performance restriction on Kman 6ixx aligns with the RSCNPF’s (The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force ) ongoing efforts to ensure that artists whose performances and content may pose security risks are not permitted to perform within the country. The meticulous evaluation of the potentially negative impact on public order and safety bolsters our decision,” the statement form the RSCNPF stated.
Ali, the incoming CARICOM Chairman said that “We cannot allow our culture to be captured in this narrative. We have to lead a revolution against this narrative and reposition our culture in the way it was conceived; that is for positive living and positive upliftment.”
He said that no one should take the move for a non-violent culture as a personal attack but simply citizens doing what is best for their future generations.
In 2022, following a barrage of gunshots during the performance of Jamaican dancehall artist Kevon ‘Skeng’ Douglas, while he performed a song here on guns, drugs and killing, this country took a decision to impose a ban on him.
Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn had announced that the Jamaican dancehall artiste had been banned from performing publicly in Guyana, while saying that authorities would take a similar stance against those promoting vulgarity and gun violence at public events and on the airwaves.
He said aid that artistes can perform at private clubs “and behave as badly as they want” but that the GPF “will not sign off on any artiste who has a record of promoting vulgar behaviour, such as the firing of gunshots in public places.”
He added, “We reject this completely.”
